Thomas S Moore Port Casks Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

We’re back in Kentucky and with Sazerac at the Barton 1792 distillery and their ‘ultra premium’ bourbons from the Thomas S Moore brand.

These releases honour the founder of the distillery, Thomas S Moore who built in 1889 and they experiment with extended casks finishes such as Chardonnay, Madeira, Sherry and this one today, Port.

Port is a fortified wine from the Douro Valley in Portugal. It differs from normal wine in that halfway through fermentation grape brandy at a strength between 29% & 60% abv is added which kills the yeast and stops the fermentation process which leaves the residual sugar in the wine – in fact about 100 grams of sugar per litre, so on a par with Coke!

The result is a sticky, sweet dessert style wine that often has a profile of dried fruit, nuts, caramel and spice. It’s normally also found in three styles – Ruby Port which is vibrant and fruity and full bodied, Tawny Port which are nuttier and drier due to aging by oxidation over long periods up to 30 or 40 years and White Port which are generally light and crisp.

Let's Taste!

Thomas S Moore Port Casks Extended Finish                 49.45% abv/98.9 proof

Sazerac - Barton 1792 Distillery – Kentucky Straight Bourbon – rumoured to be 5 – 7 years old before the finish which can be anywhere between 1 – 3 years.

Mash Bill – undisclosed but believed to be 74% corn, 18% rye, 8% barley

Nose: Quite intense Port notes on the nose – blackberries, dates and dark cherries as well as a little cranberry. Some ethanol giving way to cinnamon, vanilla and sawdust. Worn leather and an earthy funk like wet mulch. Dark honey too.

Palate: That port sweetness is front & centre of the palate – stewed berry compote, honey, prunes and dates. Cinnamon follows plus quite a bit of astringent oak. Some coffee grounds and licorice.

Finish: Short with port fruitiness, oak and an odd play dough note

Score: 4 out of 10

Overall: So the bourbon is totally over powered by the port and as such it becomes a little one dimensional and well boring. The oakiness makes it a little rough around the edges and it does feel a touch on the young side. Weirdly the more you drink it the less it gives back. Not one I’ll replace.

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